5 Raiders players who will play crucial role in making playoffs
Josh Jacobs
Let’s start with the most obvious one, which is, of course, Josh Jacobs. No. 28 has been on a historical tear, making his way onto the Raiders’ record books; in fact, he finds himself inching closer to Marcus Allen’s single-season rushing yardage record.
It’s more of a matter of Jacobs staying healthy now that the team is taking more careful measures about his calf injury.
Pro Football Focus awarded Jacobs an 89.2 offensive grade for his Week 12 performance. For the entire season, he’s currently graded 93.1, which is downright remarkable. The AFC Offensive Player of the Week has also become a reliable dual-threat under McDaniels; Jacobs has recorded 153 receiving yards in total the past three games.
In addition, McDaniels is also trusting Jacobs more on third down, leading to Jacobs playing a role in pass protection more frequently. In return, Jacobs has rewarded his coach’s trust with solid performances. In Weeks 10 and 11, Jacobs was graded higher than 71.1 in pass-blocking in each of those games, respectively.
If Jacobs’ calf doesn’t turn into a more serious problem, the running back will once again need to carry the offense as he did late last season as the team rode into the postseason red-hot. Will history repeat itself? Well, if it’s meant to happen, Jacobs will have played a big part in it.